Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
UPDATE:
Actor Rudy Youngblood, who was recently involved in a visa issue in Greece, has clarified that he will be leaving the country voluntarily without any stain on his record. In a statement, Youngblood explained that his extended stay in Greece was due to a health problem he encountered in November. He had been hospitalized and advised by doctors to undergo treatment before returning to the United States, inadvertently allowing his visa to expire.
The 42-year-old also confirmed that he will not face any ban on entering Greece or other Schengen countries. His departure will conclude the matter, and he remains free of any charges related to the incident.
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Hollywood star Rudy Youngblood, best known for his lead role in Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, is facing deportation from Greece after his visa expired in November 2024. The 42-year-old actor was detained during a routine police check on December 27 in the Athens neighborhood of Kypseli and has since been held in a detention center.
Youngblood, who has been in Greece since late August for a film project about the November 17 organization, says his troubles began when his health forced him to extend his stay. Following treatment for a medical issue, he claims he was advised by his doctor to delay traveling back to the U.S. This unexpected complication led to his visa overstaying its legal limit of 90 days.
On the night of his arrest, Youngblood insists he was approached by plainclothes officers speaking Greek, which he could not understand. "I didn’t know they were police officers. They didn’t show any identification. I felt threatened and reacted out of fear," the actor stated in his objections to the Greek authorities.
Youngblood was later sentenced to 10 months’ suspended imprisonment for disobedience, threatening behavior, and carrying a pocketknife, but he argues he was unaware of the legal proceedings or their implications. "I had no lawyer, no clear understanding of what was happening, and no idea I was in danger," he said.
Now detained in the Amygdaleza detention center, Youngblood is fighting to avoid deportation, which would bar him from entering any Schengen Zone country for five years. He describes this potential ban as catastrophic for his career, reputation, and professional partnerships.
"This is disastrous for me," he reportedly told authorities. "It would ruin my reputation and prevent me from working in Europe, where I have key projects lined up."
Youngblood maintains that his actions were misinterpreted and that he has been compliant with Greek laws during his extended stay. "I’m an innocent man in a poorly written scenario," he said.
Youngblood has formally submitted objections to his deportation and hopes to be granted voluntary departure instead, which would allow him to leave Greece without the five-year Schengen ban. Authorities are expected to make a decision in the coming days.
If his request is denied, Youngblood will remain in detention and face forced deportation to the U.S., though he still has the option to appeal in court.
Youngblood’s ordeal raises questions about procedural transparency and cultural misunderstandings in legal systems. For the actor, however, the stakes are deeply personal: his reputation, his livelihood, and his freedom to travel and work internationally hang in the balance.
For now, the star of Apocalypto waits in real-life suspense, hoping for an ending that doesn’t take him away from the European stage.
